The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-02
A CHAT ABOUT LINCOLN.
Becoiiections of Twenty-three Years of
Life In the White Hnnxe

cades ago. II might as well lead up {
that great mans end by saying that o.
Nov. 3. 1864, Sergt Cronan. Andrey
Smith. Alfonso Dunn. and myself wer
assigned to duty at the white house.
am the only survivor. We were takel
| to MIR. Lincoln's room, given instrue
tions, and went on duty. The real in
| wardness of the matter was that tn
president had received many threaten
ing letters, and at the time precautioI
was necessary. Everybody had to b.
watched, even women. tell You. sir,
with his eyes lighting up. .'those fer
| southern women were dangerous. | ha,
been st the white house but a shor
time when the president chose me a
his guard. walked with him every
| where As u coincidence. one day
when we were on the street. | said: 'Mr
| President. Senator Harlan is n goo,
man. A very good man. he replied
The senator aflerward became a mem
Der of the presidents cabinet and ais,
father-in-law of the presidents son
| Robert Lincoln. One day he said I,
me. as we were coming out of Secretary
| Stanton's house: Well. Pendleton, =
he and Mrs. Lincoln always called m,
that,-1 have received a good many
threatening letters, but I'm not afraid.
But Mr.. President said /. many :
brave man has lost his life because h,
did not fear That's So he replied
that's so.
Again. to show you how frank h,
| was. asked him how tall he was. II,
laughed and said: Il am Just six foo
three IN my stocking feet The devo
tion between Mr. Lincoln and his iittl,
son Tad. who always called him Papa
| day. was something for study When
ever the president returned to the whit,
house. no matter how brief had beer
his absence, he would pick that boy III
in his arms, hug him, and carry hin
upstairs TO his room with him. / never
shall forget how Tad interested himsel
in my behalf.
The president was at his desk wher
Tad opened the door and said: GOOD
morning, Papa-day. will you do me {
favor?' My son. you know l will" he
answered. Well. then. sir, Just sign
that The president read the document
looked at the boy proudly. half amused,
and, picking up his pen. inscribed hi.
name This is the document, said the
old man. huskily. as he held out a bit OF
faded paper that shook because his hand
trembled:
''ENECUrIvE MANSION, Dec. 81, lS6i.-
These presents witness that Thomas r
Pendel is duly appointed an usher i'm the
place of Edward McAlanuS, now dismissed
A. LINCOLN.
This boy was only Is years old. y
continued Mr.. Pendel. He was very
fond of me. He would meet me on the
stairway and say: Tom Pen, YOU &C
upstairs and ask mamma may | go to
the theater and tell her you'll take care
of me- would go and say. Mrs. Lin
cold, Ted wants TO go to the theater;
may hep No. | don't think he had
better, she would say. IN go with
him and take good care of him viii
YOU be sure to do it, Pendleton? Well,
then, ] guess he may go
at was NV duty TO stand in front OF
the presidents desk when he was re.
ceiving business visitors. OF all the re-
questsi-and he would listen to any body.
One dav two southern women came and
said: Mr.. President won't YOU give
us pass to Richmond? No, | won't,
was the plain answer. They sat down
sullenly, and after awhile the president
called them up, and said: Yes, will
give you pass to Richmond writing
one on his knee at the time i would
rather have you there. because if YOU
stay here you'll just inform the confed
eracy of what we are doing. A young
officer who wanted 10 be transferred tC
Hancock's corps submitted the neces
sary papers TO him. When at length ht
called for the presidents decision he in
quired very biuntly: We'll, nave yol
looked at the papers?' Yes said tn
president We'll, is there anythin.
more you want?' Hancock says yol
are gallant officer, SIR said Mr.. Lin
cold sternly. looking him in the eye
but you are not sober officer Tha
settled it.
Mr.. Pendel was nearing the blackes
spot in his memory-the night of til
| assassination.
''On one dark rainy day the presiden
and myself walked over to Secretar
| Sta nton's office in the war department
| He and Mr.. Lincoln held conference
| and then we started back again. o.
the stairway of the department we me
stranger who locked at the presiden
and he looked at him. | watched then
| both intently. The man passed on hi
way upstairs, and the president KEEP
going down, but Mr.. Lincoln kept hi
eyes on him. When the stranger reach
ed the head of the stairs he turned an,
peered over the balustrade, and whel
we reached the pavement the presiden
spoke for the first time. 'Pendleton
| he said, Il received letter from Ney
York yesterday telling me that maj
| answering his description and dresse
| just like him was on his way TO Wash
ington to kill me-.
! Then came that terrible night Nh
Ashmer, of New York. Mr.. ColfaN
| speaker of the house, and Mr.. and Mrs
Lincoln were chatting in the parlor be
fore starting for the theater. Richmon'
had fallen and the house was illumina
ted. Do you know the reason the presi
dent went to the theater that night? |
had been advertised that Grant woult
be there, but he couldn't, and Mr.. Lin
| coin went so that the people would no
be disappointed. saw the party of
and sent a guard to look after them
About 9 o'clock the bell rang and whel
| | answered it a man said: Do YOU know
they have tried to cut Secretary Seward
throat?' ] SAID: No; it can't be-
| few moments later he returned, breath
less and exclaimed: Yes, it's so. Th
cavalry are up and down the avenue.
Then | grew uneasy about the president
and sent out messengers. A few min
| utes afterward / saw Senator Sumne
coming up the hill, followed by crow,
| of men and bows, and he gasped, HOY
about the PRESIDENT? He had hardl
finished talking when COMMISSIONS
Newlin arrived and said: The presiden
has been shot through the back of tn
head / went to Capt Lincoln's room
He had just returned from the from
and said: Captain, something ha
happened to the president told th
military secretary plainly what it wa
He turned white as death, and salt
Don't let anyone come in the house
Iwas going downstairs when little Tai
who had been to the National theatel
rushed into my arms and sobbed: Of
Tom Pen. somebody has killed paps
day. 1t was an awful night / rushe
through crowds on the streets to Pete
sons tailor store, where the presider
had been taken, passed the line {
guards. and Mrs. Lincoln met me in on
of the parlors, with hair disheveled an
almost wild. oh, Pendleton,' she cries
If you had been there it would not haE
happened
The Grown-Up Tomboy.
IT. r.,-1 r1x,1 ofhar-;za Ep1yr ,